After a decrease in refugee resettlement due to policies of the prior Administration and the pandemic, many more refugees and other displaced persons are arriving in the US, including in Cincinnati. Annie Scheid Jasinski (Jamaica 91-93), who is Director – Refugee Resettlement Services for Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio, updated CARV on the work of her agency. It has been complicated and challenging, to say the least. The Presidential Determination has increased the annual maximum number of refugees vetted by the United Nations that the US will accept from 15,000 to 125,000. In addition, as a result of the US pullout from Afghanistan, many people have qualified for or are expected to receive Special Immigrant Visas. People fleeing the war in Ukraine are not being resettled in the US through the refugee resettlement program, but are receiving temporary status here hrough the Uniting for Ukraine program.
Part of Annie’s challenge is to rebuild capacity, moving the number of refugees resettled from a low of 20 people to potentially 185 for the fiscal year. Refugee Resettlement meets arriving families, finds and furnishes affordable housing, files paperwork to allow access to services and employment, teaches English, cultural orientation and job readiness and many other activities. They do this using case management and the support of many volunteers.
There are multiple ways in which CARV members, family and friends can volunteer with these new Americans. The Youth Mentoring Program pairs adults with refugees aged 15 – 24, meeting one-on-one each week. There are opportunities to teach cultural orientation (what RPCV can’t relate to those challenges!) as well as employment readiness and digital literacy. New arrivals need help learning the public transportation system. There is an ongoing need to move furniture and set up housing and to locate and collect household items.
If you think you might be able to volunteer, contact Annie at [email protected].
For some great information about the difference between refugees and other immigrants as well as the history and current status of refugee resettlement, see the attached presentation.
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